Friday, July 31, 2009

How anyone can possibly think that the government would do a good job at managing the health care system is beyond me. They can't even manage a fairly straight forward program like Cash for Clunkers...a program which I think is stupid, although it seems to be getting quite a few folks out there buying new cars.

I don't exactly like the idea of my tax dollars propping up car purchases for others, but whatever. That's not the point.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

My $4/half gallon organic milk is apparently no healthier than regular milk. But you know what? It sure does TASTE better than regular milk. I cannot drink non-organic milk anymore. We used to buy the regular stuff at Costco but it tastes bitter to me now.

And I'm sorry but the regular Fuji apples at the grocery store are tasteless and disgusting. I can't eat them. So I haul my butt down to the farmer's market nearly every weekend to buy my farm grown fresh apples (usually I pick the organic ones). So maybe I don't have to get the organic ones but the price isn't that much different.

I'm not really a granola crunching hippie, but I do like the idea that some of my foods aren't completely stuffed with chemicals. Then again, I love processed foods. I figured if I balanced those processed foods out with some organics then I am doing okay. Perhaps not.

Maybe it's just psychological and I THINK that the organic veggies/fruits/milk taste better. I eat so few veggies/fruits ... it's not costing me that much more to purchase organic. But more than buying organic, I like buying local. That's the key to me. I love the Farmer's market, even if I am the only one with no reusable shopping bag and no O sticker on my car. =)

And I will never take things THIS far. Good grief. These people need to get a life.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

I think I want to upgrade my cell phone. I really like the idea of accessing the internet from my phone where ever I am...as if I need to be online more than I already am. But I've noticed lately how convenient it would be...I keep thinking of things to look up when I'm out and about.

The problem is me being cheap. I already hate paying as much as we do for two cell phones (plus our home phone). And I know it's more expensive to have a plan that accesses the internet. Although I do get a company discount from my work, which is really nice.

The other problem is that I want to make sure the phone I get is going to last more than two years and that I'll like it. My coworker has an Envy? I think. It's okay but it doesn't flip up with a keyboard and I think I want that. I think. I'm not entirely sure.

We have Verizon so that gives me a set of phones to choose from. Anyone have any suggestions???

Isn't that the refrain we heard and hear from the abortion rights advocates? Keep your laws off of my body?

Well, I'm going to adopt it in my stand against government run health care. Keep your laws off of my body!!!

Hubby and I attended our birthing class on Sunday...and while it totally freaked me out and grossed me out it did make me appreciate even more the health care system as it stands.

Yes, I have private insurance through my work. And God bless it.

I will have a private room in which to give birth and to recover. My baby will stay with me in the room (no nurseries). I get to decide how I want labor to go ... in terms of who is allowed in the room with me, if I take drugs or get an epi, etc. It is all about making the labor as easy as possible for me.

The delivery rooms all having soaking tubs, TVs, birthing balls (scary!), and $65,000 beds that move in all sorts of weird and funky ways to accommodate comfort and ease for delivery. Don't tell me the government would ever provide them.

I disagree with the premise of several of the questions posed in this particular dNeero survey...

I've never had to wait for insurance approval before getting treatment. That is the kind of thing that socialized medicine requires!

I do agree that there are a shortage of nurses. But the market can correct this through financial incentives for teachers and nurses.

And the hospice care question is just odd. The current bill in Congress has funding for end of life counseling...basically, a requirement that old folks have to meet with their doctor every 5 years (or thereabouts) to talk about their "options"...in other words...if it gets too expensive to take care of you we'd like to pull the plug.

I don't anticipate government ever wanting to approve hospice care for people. It costs money and if the patient is just going to die anyway, what's the point right?

I want the government as far away from my healthcare decisions as possible. These are the people who can't even be bothered to read the bills they are voting for! Nor are they medical experts. My health care should be between me and my doctor...not some burocrat on a medical board somewhere in DC.

If you prize choosing your own cardiologist or urologist under your company's Preferred Provider Organization plan (PPO), if your employer rewards your non-smoking, healthy lifestyle with reduced premiums, if you love the bargain Health Savings Account (HSA) that insures you just for the essentials, or if you simply take comfort in the freedom to spend your own money for a policy that covers the newest drugs and diagnostic tests -- you may be shocked to learn that you could lose all of those good things under the rules proposed in the two bills that herald a health-care revolution.

... the Obama platform would mandate extremely full, expensive, and highly subsidized coverage -- including a lot of benefits people would never pay for with their own money -- but deliver it through a highly restrictive, HMO-style plan that will determine what care and tests you can and can't have.

What happened to my right to choose being all constitutionally protected and stuff? Where are the feminists now? Filthy hypocrites.

Friday, July 24, 2009

A police officer arrests an uncooperative person who throws up the race card upon being asked a simple question. The President thinks it's his business to comment and insults the police officers.

Oh but now we all need to take a step back and learn from this "teachable moment"...*gag* What a moron. The police did NOTHING wrong. The professor was an ass and is the one who threw up the race card first thing when being questioned.

I try hard to avoid listening to this jackass. He makes my skin crawl. But when he insults police officers, and calls their actions stupid, my hackles jump right away.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

"Warning: Consuming hot dogs and other processed meats increases the risk of cancer."

Back the hell off you do gooder vegans! I don't bug you about your diet so lay off of mine.

I LOVE hotdogs. Seriously. One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is go to the local farmer's market, pick up my organic apples, and then get a hot dog for lunch. I know...organic apples and hot dogs. I'm full of contradictions.

And I love how this group hides under the so called non profit name "The Cancer Project". So innocuous. So innocent. No agenda here.

"The Cancer Project is a branch of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a group that lobbies against animal research and pitches the adoption of meat-free diets."

And these losers are suing hot dog makers. Arg! They're just going to drive up the cost of my Ball Parks!

Everything causes cancer (or so we're told) and I'm sure that if I ate nothing but hot dogs, every meal, every day I would get some sort of illness. Not to mention a serious vitamin deficiency.

Lots of foods are bad for you if eaten in excess. This is just one more nanny group who wants to try to dictate how the rest of us live and eat. I say BACK OFF!

1. You walk into a store and the cashier is being held up by a robber. The robber's accomplice is dead on the floor at your feet with a shotgun laying next to him. The robber does not see you, but the cashier does - what do you do?

Oh gosh...I don't have a lot of experience with a shotgun so I'm afraid I wouldn't know what to do. Not only that, but I tend to freeze in emergency situations. Lame, I know. I would WANT to grab the shotgun and blow the robber away. If hubby was with me he'd probaby be carrying already so problem solved. :)

2. We go to an ice cream shop for an ice cream cone. You say you are buying and I am going to stay in the car. You ask me what I want and I say "surprise me", what kind of ice cream cone am I going to get?

Liver and Onion. I hate 'surprise me' answers. What if you hate it? Then again I'm always too specific and must order my own stuff.

3. You have a dream that your co-worker, friend or whoever is hit by a garbage truck after they back into a ladder with a black cat on it. The next day you see that person standing by a ladder with a black cat on it and there is a garbage truck driving down the road.... what do you do?

Watch in awe and see what happens. I seriously have had dreams that I think have come true...or at least I get that weird sense of deja vu.

4. What is the most money you've won on a lottery or scratch off ticket?

I don't remember the last time I played a ticket that I purchased myself (I've gotten them as gifts from others) and generally think they are a tax on the stupid who can't do math. Though I do remember my mom buying them for us kids...we thought they were fun games. Maybe $5 or $10 is the most I rememer winning.

5. A neighbor kid down the street comes to your door and offers to wash all of your windows outside for $10 - do you have him do it?

Probably not...it's partly a liability issue. But unless I know the kid very well I also don't trust him/her. Why waste $10? Though I admire the gumption...most kids aren't interested in working like that. But still...hubby is paranoid about having kids on our property with the dogs so we'd say, thanks but no thanks.

6. Go to Google Images. Type in the name of the last movie you saw. Post the first picture that comes up.

I can't remember the last movie I saw. Is that sad? Movie theater movie? Or on TV? Either way I don't remember. I watch a lot of TV. I do know that the next movie I see in theaters is going to be Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Hopefully this Saturday!

7. Your local animal shelter calls you and says there are 3 dogs that need an immediate foster home for 3 days. If you do not accept, the dogs are put down that day. Do you take them in?

Oh gosh...this is a gut wrencher. I want to say YES...but the reality is that we have four big dogs already and I'm very pregnant. I think that if it was for only three days...and I could be home during those three days...I'd like to say yes. I hate the idea of dogs being put down - especially if they are great adoptable dogs. But it happens every day and is part of life. With an older dog who is grouchy and with Trooper Bear who gets very jealous I'd have a hard time justifying bringing three new dogs on the property. Although we do have a nice large extra kennel where they could actually stay...tough question!

8. What is the messiest room in your home?

I can only pick one? Probably the 'office'...also known as "hubby's room". We are very behind in our filing and paper shredding...it's kind of a fire hazard. Then there's all the magazines that hubby refuses to get rid of. Second runner up is our master bedroom though. Very messy.

9. Have you ever been to a wedding that participated in a strange tradition that you had never heard of?

Yes. Until my aunt and uncle got married (I was in my 20s) I had NEVER heard of a money dance. She's from the Philipines and it's apparently traditional (though I've now since heard of it being done in all sorts of cultures). I found it extremely tacky and still do think so. My little cousin is getting married in August and talking about having one - I'm really disappointed about it but it's her wedding.

10. Name one sport that you just don't get.

Golf. Seriously. Even mini golf can be extremely boring after about 9 holes.

11. What was the last email that came into your inbox about?

I can't remember...it was junk and I deleted it.

12. Have you ever purchased anything from a sex shop? Extra points if you tell us what it was....

I'll admit it...I was 18. It was a rush and very taboo. There were a group of us. And seriously, very seriously, I cannot remember what the hell I bought. I wasn't drunk. I swear. I think it was some kinky article of clothing or something. I think such places are very sleazy though.

13. Go back to that Google Images link... type in the last food item that you ate. Post the 2nd picture it comes up with.

Yummy...chicken soft tacos.

14. Got any bumper stickers on your vehicle? What are they?

Heh. Hubby hates my car. I've got lots of bumper stickers. One is about spay/neuter for pets. Just do it! One says "Peace through Superior Firepower". One is "Keep the Change" with the One's logo crossed out. Another with a ying yang symbol with the words Bite/Bark. :) And of course my State Patrol Association stickers.

15. What meme question do you wish was never asked again?

No idea...I haven't played enough to see the same ones asked over again. =)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

This whole health care debate is frustrating and mind numbing. Having experienced my fair share of health issues in the last few months I can definitely appreciate how being without insurance could be devestating.

However, each time I've gone to the various doctors the more I appreciate my PRIVATE insurance. Because I doubt that any public insurance would be taking such good care of me (and really it's not the insurance taking care of me...it's my doctors...semantics).

Private insurance isn't perfect - my deductibles for prescriptions are certainly adding up (especially since the docs can't seem to determine the exact right thing for me to take...experimenting is expensive!). And I know that if I didn't have a job then I'd be stuck - either on hubby's insurance (which would be fine) or on state provided care (shudder).

Look at what happened in Tennessee! THIS is what Obama wants for the country! It is pure insanity. Is it not logical that if someone provides something for "free" that it will be overused?

And why do we want the government more involved in healthcare? Because they do such a good job managing other aspects of life? DMV. Post Office. Medicare/Medicaid. Social Security. We seriously want these people in charge of everyone's healthcare? NO thank you! I'll take my chances with private healthcare, thank you very little.

I'd be all for rule changes making healthcare portable...why can't it be more like car insurance? It's required but I'm not reliant on my job to provide it...I have the choice and can pick from any number of private insurers.

Health care is NOT a right.

I have NO right to demand free care from my doctors. I have NO right to demand free prescriptions. Just as I have NO right to demand free services from anyone else who sells their services. People work hard to become doctors, pharmacists, researchers. Why do I have a right to their services at no charge?

The system we have is not perfect and there are many changes that I would love to see. But it's a hell of a lot better than what The One is proposing (not that he even knows what is being proposed...doesn't that scare anyone?!?).

Monday, July 20, 2009

Yup. I did. A corner piece. With extra frosting. It was SOOO yummy. I could just eat a tub of icing. I love icing.

It was my baby shower so I suspended my diabetes. You can do that you know. :) It's one of those lesser known laws of science. *grin*

I had chips, hot dogs, pineapple, 1/4 of a soda, and yummy cake. Surprisingly, my blood sugar wasn't through the roof, although it was too high. But considering all the crap I ate it wasn't too bad.

We had a great time. It was held at a park on the water and hubby went out on one of the guy's boats to collect fresh crab, which everyone enjoyed. The kids played in the water and were great entertainment.

I love getting together with the other Troopers of hubby's detachment. They always have the funniest stories. And they're a wonderful group of guys (and one gal Trooper who isn't part of the detachment but is one of our friends)...very family oriented. We're very blessed.

Of course, I've had a bad cold since Thursday and yesterday wore me out completely. I couldn't even talk by the end of the night my throat was so raw.

Oh and there were gifts. And a game where they had to guess my belly diameter. So fun. =) The guys enjoyed that...though were particularly nervous about over guessing. ha!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

I had a hectic day yesterday...by the time my doctor's appointment was done (originally scheduled for 11 a.m. and I finally saw a doctor at 4:45) I had no desire to cook anything.

So I stopped by a Papa Murphy's store...one that I haven't ever stopped at before. And large as life in the window was a sign that read "We Gladly Accept Food Stamps" ...

...

...

That's me taking two and three looks to make sure I'm reading it correctly. Not just accepting, but Gladly accepting.

My tax dollars are going toward pizza? Seriously? Take out pizza???

Maybe it's just me...but if you're poor enough to qualify for food stamps maybe you should have higher priorities than getting pizza for dinner. It's certainly not economical, nor is it all that healthy.

Plus you can buy a large pizza at the grocery store, which also accepts food stamps, for $5 or less. And they're not too bad. Sometimes they're on sale and have coupons so they're even cheaper. My favorite pizza is $1.25 (Totino's Canadian Bacon...yummy!).

Why do tax dollars support take out pizza? Does McDonald's also accept food stamps and I missed the sign?

I find it highly inappropriate. If I want to buy pizza with my own hard EARNED money that is my right. Someone on food stamps should not have that same right...they aren't earning anything. They're taking - based on my (and other productive members of society) earnings!

[Yes, I know...some people absolutely need food stamps to survive...but if they're that hard up then they really shouldn't be buying take out pizza, should they?]

Sunday, July 12, 2009

I had a blast though. Four days and five classes - learning new techniques and upgrading old ones. I'm looking forward to trying them out though I'm going to need some new equipment.

Something that happened this year that I haven't experienced at past shows. Since I'm so flippin' pregnant (I'm HUGE!) my ability to walk long distances is severely limited. Unfortunately, the location of the show makes walking a necessity.

Parking sucked. Three of the four days I parked up a hill and about a block away from the show. It was cheaper by $10 a day compared to parking in the hotel lot. Friday I had to carry my heavy suitcase down about six flights of stairs to get to my first class. I was late. I was exhausted. And ticked.

The hotel is NOT set up to allow easy movement for someone who isn't fully functional. Whether pregnant, handicapped, or just someone with a bad leg. The elevators are split so you can't take just one elevator to all the floors. You take one to the lobby and then have to walk to another one down to the first floor.

I really do have a better appreciation for how hard it is for people who aren't fully capable of walking up and down stairs. I am completely exhausted. My legs and back are killing me. And my feet hurt.

Thankfully my issue is temporary...hopefully at next year's show I won't have such difficulty. But there are a lot of people who can't just get rid of their handicap. There are a LOT of beaders / jewelers who are older. And a surprisingly high number who are quite overweight...enough to affect their walking. I hope they take that into consideration next year.

Walking back up to my car tonight after my final class I though I was going to bust a lung. It was ONE block but it was uphill and I was hauling my suitcase behind me (a rolling suitcase of course) ... I seriously could not have talked if I wanted.

But it was a great show and I learned a lot. I'm hoping to get some photos taken of the projects I finished tomorrow and hope to share here and on my other blog. :)

Monday, July 6, 2009

It's been quite a stressful day...at least the first half. Hubby didn't get to bed until 5:30 a.m. and I had to wake him up at 9:15. :( Poor guy. I got up early so I could make his coffee and take care of the doggies. I also packed a few snacks, which we of course didn't eat (why do I bother taking snacks anywhere? We never eat them.).

Hubby slept while I drove the truck to Seattle. *gulp* That is stressful enough for me...but to have to PARK in Seattle. Actually parking the truck anywhere, even our driveway sometimes, makes me nervous. But I managed to find a halfway decent space. Then we had to had to find our way through the parking maze into the actual hospital area. That place is huge.

Thankfully we were on the main floor so it didn't take too long once we asked directions.

A few forms and a bathroom trip and we were being called in. There was no wait (in fact, I was in the potty room when they called my name so I made them wait!).

The ultrasound lady was awesome. Totally friendly and explained everything...and she didn't seem too concerned when we explained what my doc has sent us up for.

It's a teaching hospital so I had another doctor come in to review my file and do some more ultrasound surfing. She's a fellow (already a doctor though) working toward some sort of specialty in high risk OB.

Anyway...baby boy was extremely antsy and moved around a lot, which made it a bit harder for them. But they also said that it was a good sign, as I figured it was, that he moves a lot.

An hour later we headed out to find the cafe for lunch. I already told hubby that I was going to eat whatever the heck I wanted. I didn't have a soda - though I was tempted and if they'd had Dr Pepper I may have caved. I did have a plate of the most awesome French Fries evAR, along with chicken strips, and for dessert a piece of cheese cake. OMG...mouth watering. So good. I'm sure it was technically horrible cheesecake, but it tasted amazing to me.

And surprisingly, though I expected it to be over 200, my blood glucose was just a bit higher than it is supposed to be.

Lunch being over we headed back to wait in the waiting room for my next appointment ... no wait for that one either. They are speedy there.

The doctor came in and was absolutely unconcerned about the chorioangioma. It is actually smaller than my regular doctor said...it's only 2.5 cm. And it's on the opposite side of where the baby is...the concern is when the angioma is on the same side as the baby and the chord, where it can cause major complications.

They did find another growth (I can't remember what she called it...I think it started with an f) but it's on the outside of the whole uterus and isn't super big, though it could grow.

On the whole, we were pretty relieved after talking to the doctor. She was more concerned about the gestational diabetes. The baby IS too big for his age and if he keeps growing at the same rate he'll be a very very very big baby (9-10 pounds).

It doesn't seem to matter what I eat in the morning, or before bed, my fasting glucose and my after breakfast glucose is consistently too high. So it's not the food...it's the baby. And since it'll only get worse the further on I get they're going to try to fix it now. I'll start on some sort of med (not insulin) on Wednesday in the morning but I probably will have to start insulin.

Apparently if I'm on insulin, I can be a little more flexible with my food...which is good because my cravings have certainly kicked in. =)

I'll probably be offline the next week or so. Work is going to be INSANE and I'm only going to be in the office for two days. I have jewelry classes Thursday through Sunday, every day all day. I'm excited but it's not the most convenient time. Oh well...hopefully I'll learn some new useful jewelry skills. =)

Thank you everyone who offered prayers and thoughts. We still need them but at least this horrible scary part is over.

Friday, July 3, 2009

So I've got my appointments set for Monday with the University of Washington medical center. An ultrasound in the morning (that makes 5 but who's counting?) and then meeting with a doctor in the afternoon.

The good news is that my MIL's latest bone marrow biopsy came back showing NO cancer cells! They aren't declaring remission yet but it truly is a blessing and we're very excited for it.

Of course she's completely freaked out by the chorioangioma news. I was ticked at hubby for spilling the beans. She doesn't need to worry about me...she needs to get herself better. Well, I guess my red eyes kind of gave it away - we had just found out in the parking lot before we went up to see her in the hospital. Talk about timing.

Hubby will be joining me on Monday ... and he'll be working on less than 3 hours of sleep. It should be super fun. /sarc

Hope everyone has a wonderful Independence Day. Hubby is working all day (I think it's a 12 hour shift) at a big 4th of July event so I'll be on my own. I wish I could move around better - it's hard to clean up when everything hurts and you've got a watermelon sticking out of your belly. :)

Well, according to the very few links I could find about it yesterday it's a benign growth of the placenta, but it's still a threat to the baby.

Great. Just what I needed...a little more stress.

My doctor issued a referral to UW Medical Hospital in Seattle. When she told me that I lost it. Not when she told me about the 'tumor' but when she said she was sending me there. Because to me, going there is SERIOUS. I think that's where my dad ended up a lot of the time while he was fighting his cancer.

She said the baby looked fine in the ultrasound...but that doesn't make me feel much better. After all, he might LOOK fine but have mental issues. Not that I don't have mental issues myself, but I dread having a kid with similar or even worse issues.

I hope they can treat it somehow. The websites I browsed (there's surprisingly little info out there) said it can cause premature birth, fetal heart failure, and of course fetal death. *sigh* The one site says that labor is usually induced once the "fetus" (I hate that word) is viable. Well, hell, I think technically he's nearly viable now but I sure as hell am not ready for him!

It's encouraging when I feel the baby kicking around though. Which he was in the night and this morning.

We'll see what the "experts" at UW say. I need to call them this morning to make the appointment. No idea how fast I'll get in. And tomorrow is a holiday. My boss is just going to love when I ask for more time off.

* UPDATE *

Apparently this thing is so rare that even the OB doctors at Group Health haven't ever seen it. My doctor (not specifically an OB, but doing this for 30 years) has never seen it either. *sigh*

They Say it Better than Me

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."~ Thomas Jefferson ~

"...capitalism has turned a world in which life is nasty, brutish and short into a world in which life is healthy, wealthy and long."~Claudia Goldin, Harvard economist~

"Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil."~ Thomas Mann ~

Political correctness is tyranny with manners.~ Charlton Heston ~

Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybodystands around reloading.~Unknown~

No people in history have ever survived, who thought they could protect their freedom by making themselves inoffensive to their enemies.~Dean Acheson, Secretary of State, Democrat~

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.~ Thomas Jefferson ~

“Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I’m not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be.”~ John Wayne ~

"We shall defend our land, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."~Winston Churchill~

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About Me

A little looney, love making jewelry, and addicted to TV! Seriously. TV is a complete and total addiction. It is on from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed, even if just in the background.
I have three fabulous doggies - Two Siberian Huskies, and a Malamute/Shepherd mix. (Our Malamute Trooper now lives with my sister in law.) With my hubby and son we are a pack of 5 and I am so Alpha!
Designing jewelry is my passion - my escape from the everyday of staring at a computer screen in an office all day.